The United States has only two major political parties: the Democrats and the
Republicans. These parties have a duopoly, meaning that they share
almost all the political power in the country.
The Electoral System
In the United States, a candidate wins the election by gaining a
plurality, or more votes than any other candidate. This is a
winner-take-all system because there is no reward for the party
or candidate that finishes second. Parties aim to be as large as possible,
smoothing over differences among candidates and voters. There is no incentive to
form a party that consistently gets votes but cannot win an election. As a
result, two political parties usually dominate plurality electoral systems to
the disadvantage of smaller third parties, just as the Democrats and the
Republicans dominate the American political system. No one person or
organization prevents third parties from forming, but the plurality system
itself usually hinders their efforts to win votes.
The United States also has mostly single-member districts,
meaning that each legislative district sends only one member to the
legislature. There is no benefit to finishing second. Some countries use
multiple-member districts, which makes it easier for minor
parties to succeed because there are more members winning seats in the
legislature.
The Electoral College
The Electoral College exacerbates the winner-take-all system because
in all but two states, whoever wins the most popular votes wins all of the
state’s electoral votes in the presidential election. The electoral rules
favor a two-party system, and minor parties have a very difficult time
competing in such a system. Even successful third-party candidates often
fail to get a single electoral vote.
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